2 in custody after shots fired near Worcester YMCA

Two men are under arrest in what appears to be a shooting outside the YMCA of Central Massachusetts on Main Street where two vehicles were struck by bullets but no one was injured, police said.

Gunshots were exchanged about 2:15 p.m. outside the 766 Main St. building, according to police, as a church-run event for the homeless was taking place on the lawn and a youth basketball tournament was in progress inside.

A state trooper who was in the area was able to track a suspect's vehicle from the scene to the Harding and Lafayette streets area, where two men were arrested. The Worcester Police Department arrest log identifies the men as:

• Jesus Benitez, 22, of 17 Upland Gardens, charged with two counts of firearm or ammunition possession without a firearm identification card and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling.

According to a press release from the Worcester Police Department, an off-duty state trooper was following one of the suspects in his personal vehicle and was informing police dispatchers of his direction of travel.

“The trooper informed police that the passenger in the suspect's vehicle had thrown an object out of the vehicle and into a wooded lot on Lafayette Street,” the press release said. “The trooper believed that the object was a gun. The trooper stayed by the wooded field as the suspect vehicle continued to drive on.”

When police arrived at the wooded lot the trooper told them that he was walking toward the entrance to the YMCA when he heard a sound that was similar to a gunshot.

“The trooper then observed a male in front of him, standing at the top of the front stairs to the YMCA, holding a gun,” the release said. “The suspect with the gun fired approximately three shots in the direction that the first gunshot came from. After the final shot, the trooper observed this male place the gun in his waistband and walk towards a Nissan Altima, enter the driver's seat and drive off.”

The Nissan stopped on Hermon Street and picked up several males who had run from the direction of the YMCA, the release said.

The trooper was able to provide a detailed description of the suspect who had fired the gun, according to the release, and his vehicle was located in a nearby parking lot. “Shortly after discovering the Nissan two males were observed walking on Bigelow Street by Ellsworth Street. The males were stopped by several police officers in the area. The trooper was transported to the location and identified the males.”

Police found a semiautomatic handgun in the wooded lot, the release said.

The men will be arraigned today Monday at the Worcester County District Courthouse.Police at the scene interviewed numerous witnesses and learned that a church group feeding the homeless was on the lawn of the YMCA during the shooting, the release said.

Sharon M. Henderson, spokeswoman for the YMCA, said operations continued as usual despite the shooting and police investigation until normal closing time at 3:30 p.m.

There was a large staff working Sunday, she said, to help with a basketball tournament in the back of the building in the gymnasium. She estimated the occupancy of the building at about 100 through the afternoon.

She said she is not sure if staff heard anything. She was notified around 2:30 about the shooting, she said.

“The main thing for us is the safety of our members, volunteers and staff,” Ms. Henderson said after the YMCA closed, adding that no one inside was in danger. “We were open and it was a very busy day. We are cooperating with the police on the investigation.”

The YMCA is scheduled to open as normal this morning, she said.

Police officers, detectives and members of the Crime Scene Unit investigated the scene where the shots were fired. One car had two windows shot out and was cordoned off with crime scene tape.

Officers checked the scene for bullet casings.

Police are asking anyone who has information to send an anonymous text to 274637 and type TIPWPD plus their message; leave an anonymous tip at worcesterma.gov/police; or call the Worcester Police Detective Bureau at (508) 799-8651.